My View: Steve McManus, chairman, Bradford Property Forum

AS incoming chairman of the Bradford Property Forum , I apologise now for rants and ramblings over the next two years.

In columns to come, you’ll sense positivity, passion, hunger, anger, excitement and frustration, so bear with me please. I’ve lived most of my life in Oxenhope. I’m just the latest, I realise, in a long line of people to say that I care about this city an awful lot, and want it to reclaim its place at the top table.

It did become easy for some to talk Bradford down over the last couple of decades, even without seeing what was happening. The perception was of a declining textile city with little hope for the future – but that is definitely changing now.

Only last week I was able to inform a Leeds surveyor that, not only was Westfield on site (he knew that bit), but that the structure was up and would be ready to open this autumn (he was surprised at that). He hadn’t even seen City Park. Why? Because of perception and apathy.

The people and businesses of Bradford must seize the opportunity to help lead Bradford out of recession by getting others to notice what’s going on more in the city.

Getting a new shopping centre will give Bradford a bounce but we should build on this too: shout the news from roof tops, certainly, but also encourage people to come and look, not just at the shops, but also City Park, the buildings of heritage and culture, the National Media Museum and the Alhambra. We should grasp the new opportunities now emerging for Bradford.